OutReach, Madison’s and south central Wisconsin’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center is proud to announce our 2009 Community Awards Recipients. The Awards will be presented at our Annual Banquet on the evening of Friday, July 17th at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison.

The OutReach Awards Banquet is our primary annual fundraising event. It showcases the services of OutReach and honors the contributions of individuals, community members, and organizations that support our mission “to promote equality and quality of life issues for LGBT people”.

* Governor Jim Doyle is the recipient of the 2009 Courage Award, which is given for a unique or profound accomplishment advancing equality for LGBT people. Governor Doyle is receiving the honor for his successful effort to include a state-wide domestic partnership registry and selected benefits in the recently passed State budget. His leadership makes Wisconsin the first state in the Upper Midwest to grant such benefits.

* Our Woman of the Year for 2009 goes to Jane Boyd, a long time lesbian activist, for her pioneering work in starting and maintaining Lizards, a social network for lesbian-identified women over 30. The group has been in existence for decades, and focuses on potluck dinners to build a sense of community, particularly for rural women.

* The 2009 Man of the Year is Gary Hollander, the Executive Director of Diverse & Resilient, a Milwaukee-based LGBT capacity building organization. Through his leadership and passionate work of over 25 years, Mr. Hollander has made a significant and on-going contribution to underserved groups, LGBT community centers, state-wide public health, and individual well-being.

* SSBL is the 2009 Organization of the Year. This award goes to a business, non-profit, or community group that makes a notable effort toward the advancement of LGBT equality and quality of life. SSBL, Madison’s first LGBT inclusive sports organization, has a history of not only promoting social interaction through its baseball events, but also of building community through co-operative support of other LGBT sporting leagues and raising money for deserving groups in the greater Madison area.

* Jeanne Marshall is the 2009 OutReach Ally of the Year. This award goes to a person that does not identify as LGBT, and has shown substantial private and public support for LGBT people and causes, during the past year or over the course of their life. Ms. Marshall has a long and proud resume on behalf of the LGBT community, including an extensive role in the AIDS Network ACT Ride, Proud Theater, OutReach, First Congregational United Church of Christ, and AIDS Memorial Quilt Project.

* The OutReach Volunteer of the Year for 2009 is Roger Hansen. This is an award for extraordinary service and commitment to OutReach in a volunteer capacity over a period of time. Mr. Hansen’s long and intensive involvement in our Speaker’s Bureau and coming out support group facilitation demonstrates the impact that one volunteer can have on many lives.

* Donna Wess and Linda Lenzke will be honored with a Special Recognition Award from the OutReach Board of Directors for their determined work in building the most successful women’s’ group in OutReach history, Women4Women. This award is given selectively for contributions by individuals, groups, and entities that contribute significantly to the quality of life of the LGBT communities. In less than a year, these two individuals took an idea by visionary community member and turned it into a vibrant, inclusive group for women who love women.

* A Special Recognition Award by the OutReach Board of Directors will also be presented to William Wartmann for his outstanding philanthropic activity, especially to LGBT community groups. In addition to his long time and generous support of many local LGBT organizations such as GSA for Safe Schools, OutReach, Frontiers, and New Harvest Foundation, Mr. Wartmann has also been a substantial benefactor of arts, health, religious and ethnic organizations in our area.

For more information on or to order tickets for the 2009 OutReach Awards Banquet Dinner on July 17th, please call Harry or Steve at 255-8582 or e-mail at harrys@lgbtoutreach.org.